To connect to the Internet, you will be able to do so via Wi-Fi and also via cable. This last option is the one that, at least on paper, offers greater stability and speed. However, you should keep some key points in mind to avoid problems. Therefore, in this article we are going to talk to you about what you should take into account if you need connect an ethernet cable over a long distance. You may want a very long cable or you may simply need to connect a wired device.
The first thing you should know is that there are different types of ethernet cables. There are different categories, so that’s going to be the difference between having one that works better or one that may have problems. The higher the category, the better in terms of quality, speed and achieving network stability.
Choose the cable well
It is essential to choose a good network cable. At least it should be CAT 5e, since it is what allows you to reach up to 1 Gbps speed. Specifically, you could reach up to 2.5 Gbps in stretches of up to 100 meters. Of course, the greater the distance, the more problems you may have achieving good speed and stability. You must take that into account.
A CAT 6 cable could offer up to 5 Gbps, always with a maximum distance of 100 meters. The improved version of CAT 6e could reach up to 10 Gbps and will work better in terms of stability even if you get closer to those 100 meters. If you can, better this latest version.
But there are three more versions that you can take into account: CAT 7, CAT 7a and CAT 8. All of them will guarantee, at most, that the cable reaches up to 100 meters. Now, the higher the category, the less problems you will have maintaining speed and avoiding problems. Therefore, our advice is to choose a higher category whenever you can, if you need a very long network cable.
Use an alternative
Is there any alternative to having to use an Ethernet cable of several tens of square meters? The truth is that yes and we are going to name some of them. For example, you may need to connect a television or computer from a further room. You could run into problems if you can’t do such a long installation.
One of those options is to have PLC devices. They are devices that will carry the Internet connection from one place to another in the home and for this they will use the electrical wiring. They usually come in a pack of two: one of them you connect to the router and the electricity, while the second you put in another electrical outlet.
You could also use Mesh systems or even a wireless repeater. In both cases, it is necessary that they have an Ethernet port. You will be able to connect a network cable from these devices to the equipment that you are going to connect by cable. It is another way to take advantage of the Ethernet cable, without having an installation.
Therefore, as you can see, it is important to choose a quality Ethernet cable if you need it to be long. You will also be able to use other alternatives, such as PLC devices or Mesh systems.
